Experimental investigation on the residual bending capacity of carbon fiber corrugated sandwich structures under the repeated impact

Corrugated sandwich structures are fabricated with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) face sheets and cores. An experimental study was performed to investigate the response of this type of structure to impact loading; specifically, the impact force, energy absorption capacity, and failure mode were explored. The effects of the impact energy and the number of impacts on the corrugated sandwich structure damage were also studied. The failure modes and bending capacities of structures subjected to single or repeated impacts were analyzed. The bending capacities of the composite corrugated sandwich structures were related to the failure states of the panels. When a panel endured multiple impacts, its bending capacity significantly decreased; however, its energy absorption level first increased and then decreased. An empirical relationship between the residual strength factor, the impact energy, and the number of impacts was obtained. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for performance evaluations of marine composite structures subjected to combined impact and bending loading.